Modernizing operations for virginia's evacuation resilience (MOVER)

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) received a $2,455,118.75 Project Grant award from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under the Highway Planning and Construction program (CFDA 20.205), effective September 25, 2025, with a completion date of December 31, 2029. The Modernizing Operations for Virginia's Evacuation Resilience (MOVER) program will deploy an integrated weather and traffic monitoring technology network across designated evacuation routes and transportation facilities in Virginia's Tidewater, Chesapeake, Hampton Roads, Fredericksburg, and Richmond regions. The project will install flood sensors, stream gauges, traffic cameras, and traffic control devices in areas vulnerable to flooding to support emergency evacuations during extreme weather events and enhance overall evacuation corridor functionality.

In addition to equipment procurement and installation, VDOT will develop a data integration process that consolidates collected data into VDOT's existing traffic operations network infrastructure, enabling efficient dissemination of critical information to appropriate operational staff. This project aligns with the FHWA's infrastructure resilience and transportation safety priorities under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act framework.

Project description

Final design: the mover program will focus on the virginia tidewater and chesapeake evacuation areas, which are located within vdot's hampton roads, fredericksburg, and richmond districts. Protect funds will be used to install a weather and traffic monitoring technology network within the implementation area to facilitate emergency evacuations due to extreme weather events and to improve overall evacuation corridor functionality. This technology, which will include flood sensors, stream gauges, traffic cameras, and other traffic monitoring and control devices, will be located on designated evacuation routes and other key transportation facilities in areas vulnerable to flooding. The project will also, procure and install the equipment and to develop a data integration process within vdot's existing traffic operations network, ensuring that data reaches appropriate vdot staff as efficiently as possible.